IAAC’s Draft Integrated Tailored Impact Statement Guidelines: New Nuclear at Wesleyville Project (April 7, 2026)

Ontario Power Generation (OPG) is seeking permission from the Impact Assessment Agency of Canada (IAAC) to build the world’s largest nuclear station in Port Hope, Ontario. The proposed station would cost about $230 billion and cause our electricity rates to skyrocket. According to page 17 of the IAAC’s Draft Guidelines, it is not planning to examine whether there are lower cost alternatives to keep our lights on since OPG told it that “there are no alternatives to the project that are technically and economically feasible”. OPG’s assertion is not supported by the facts. Here are the facts. - Earlier this month Ontario’s Independent Electricity System Operator (IESO) announced that it is procuring new wind and solar power at an average cost of only 8.8 cents per kWh. That is 30% cheaper than OPG’s current price of nuclear energy and 60% cheaper than OPG’s proposed price for its nuclear energy next year. - According to Lazard, one of the world’s most respected financial advisory and asset management companies, new wind and solar combined with storage is 50% cheaper than new nuclear reactors. - - According to the IESO, wind and solar combined with lithium-ion batteries can provide Ontario with reliable 24/7 electricity at a lower cost than new nuclear reactors. Great Lakes offshore wind power with a lakebed footprint of less than one square km could meet all of Ontario’s electricity needs. - - Solar farms with a footprint equal to 4/10ths of 1% of Ontario’s land area could also meet 100% of Ontario’s electricity needs. Rooftop, balcony, and parking lot solar also have a huge potential. 

The IAAC should evaluate if Ontario’s electricity needs could be met at a lower cost through an integrated combination of energy efficiency, demand management, wind and solar energy, water power, and energy storage.